Packaging means



. Sept. 17, 1963 T. H. WALL 3,103,774

PACKAGING MEANS Filed Dec. 22, 1961 k\\\ III-IIIIIIIMI INVENTOR. T/soreH. WALL BY 1! I 4 TTORNEY United States Patent 3,103,774 PACKAGING MEANSTiber H. Wall, 4 Cambridge Court, Larchmont, NY. Filed Dec. 22, 1961,Ser. No. 151,524 4 Claims. (or. sa-saa This invention relates to adisplay package and the means for manufacture thereof. More particularlythe invention relates to a plastic package adapted to partially encasean article of merchandise, and a novel jig adapted to effect suchpartial encasement, in a thermo-plastic sheet without the necessity ofany additional support or other appurtenances thereto.

The use of a thermo-plastic film to encase an article of merchandisemounted upon a back or support to form a display package is quitewell-known. The widespread acceptance and universal appeal of such apackage has spurred efforts to devise additional means for itsutilization in packaging a greater variety of articles of merchandise.Various improvements in the art have been advanced whereby an article ofmerchandise is entirely or even partially encased by the thermo-plasticfilm without the necessity of a back or other mounting. However, inattempts to partially encase articles where no undercut region isavailable when the article lies on a supporting surface, without abacking member, it has been found that retention of the article withinthe package was difficult, if not impossible.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to package an articleof merchandise in a plastic covering, partially encasing the article sothat such article may be retained against unintentional removaltherefrom, yet which may be readily detached from its covering whendesired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a package adaptedto retain a plurality of articles in an effective display.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means for forminga thermoplastic sheet to partially encase and retain an article ofmerchandise therein without the necessity of providing a backing supportor other appurtenance thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package made of athermoplastic film in intimate and shape-conforming relationshipretaining such relationship with a plurality of articles of merchandise.

In general, achievement of the foregoing objects and advantages of thepresent invention is secured by the provision of a novel jig, employedin conjunction with a conventional vacuum forming machine. The noveljig, according to the present invention is provided with means forreceiving and retaining in a desired position, and in spacedrelationship, a plurality of articles of merchandise. Further means areprovided to afford a partial clearance between the undersurface of anarticle and the conventional platen of the aforementioned vacuum formingmachines so that an undercut or reentrant zone, yielding a partialclearance of the undersurface of the article and the back plate, allowsthe thermoplastic sheet to be shaped, conforming to said article.

The above and further objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent to those versed in the art from the followingdescription of a specific embodiment of the invention as illustrated inthe drawings wherein like characters designate like parts in the severalviews, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the component parts of the jig of thepresent invention showing the arrangements thereof;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the arrangement of theparts prior to the vacuum forming operation;

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FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the arrangement of the parts after thevacuum forming operation;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a package according to the present invention inwhich a plurality of articles, as for example, buttons, are packaged;and

FIG. 5 is a view taken on line *5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the jig 10 of the present invention comprisesa substantially sandwich-like structure hav ing a back plate 1-1fabricated of a substantially rigid material, said back plate 11 havingthereupon a plurality of rigid platforms 12 in spaced relationship. Suchplatforms 12 .are of a size so that the article placed thereupon is inpartial overlapping relationship therewith.

An intermediate yieldable layer 13 of material such as sponge rubber orplastic foam, is provided with a plurality of apertures 13'corresponding in position to platforms 12 and adapted to receive suchplatforms 12 therein. The thickness of intermediate layer 13 isgenerally the same as the depth of platform 12.

A template 14, fabricated of a substantially rigid material, issuperposed upon the intermediate yieldable layer 13 and forms theuppermost part of the jig 10. Template 1'4 is provided with a pluralityof apertures 14' in alignment with the apertures 13' of the intermediatelayer 13. It will be noted that the thickness of the template '14 issuch that a depression is formed in apertures 14 so that an article ofmerchandise as for example, a button 20, may be received therein to restupon the surface of platform 12 and positioned within the limits of theaperture .14.

I In the use of the jig 10 of the present invention, a plurality ofbuttons 20 are placed within apertures 14' of template 1-4. A label 21may likewise be placed within an aperture provided therefor in template14-. The jig 10 is then placed upon a platen '25 of a conventionalvacuum forming machine, having at least one suction outlet 26. Athermoplastic sheet 27 softened by heat supplied by heating means 28 isapplied above said thermoplastic sheet 27. A topplate 30 for purposes ofsupplying a framed effeet to the thermoplastic sheet 27 may be placedbetween said sheet 27 and said jig 10, as desired.

As heat is applied by heating means 28 the thermoplastic sheet 27 issoftened and brought into direct contact with the upper surface of jig10. Suction applied through suction outlet 26 draws the template 14downwardly as indicated in FIG. 3 depressing intermediate yieldablelayer 13, so that the button 2% resting upon platform 12 is in a raisedposition above the template 14 and layer 13. Since button 28 rests onplatform 12 so that it overlaps the entire platform 12 or part thereof,an undercut is created, making possible the covering of the top andsides of the button 20, as well as a partial covering of theundersurface thereof in the area of the undercut, as illustrated in FIG.5.

Although foam plastic or sponge rubber has been described as suitablefor intermediate layer 13, any yieldable, and resilient material may beemployed. For example, spring members between the back plate 11 andtemplate 1 4 may be advantageously employed to effect a response by thetemplate 14- to compression.

It is further to be noted that the configuration assumed by platforms 12and its corresponding apertures 14 may assume the shape of the articlebeing packaged, and the placement thereof will of course be dependantupon the desired placement of an article of merchandise in a completepackage.

While a specific embodiment has herein been described, it is apparentthat changes and modifications may be made therein, and as so changed, amodified structure would still fall within the ambit of this invention.

I claim:

1. A jig for forming a package by the partial encasement of an articleof merchandise by a thermoplastic sheet of material comprising asubstantially fiat rigid porous memher; at least one rigid platformadapted to receive at least one article of merchandise thereupon; saidarticle being in overlapping relationship to the platform upon which itrests; a template substantially congruent with said rigid member havingat least one aperture corresponding in position to said platform; andyieldable means intermediate said template and said rigid memberresponsive to vacuum suction exerted from the underside of said jig,whereby said template is depressed below the top surface of saidplatform upon the application of said vacuum suction thereupon.

2. A jig according to claim 1 wherein said yieldable means is a layer ofresilient material.

3. A jig according to claim 1 wherein said yieldable means is aplurality of spring members.

4. A jig for forming a package by the partial encasement of an articleof merchandise by a thermoplastic sheet of material comprising asubstantially flat rigid member, at least one rigid platform upon saidrigid member; said article being in overlapping relationship to theplatform upon which it rests; a template substantially congruent withsaid fiat rigid member having at least one aperture corresponding inposition with said platform; a layer of resilient material intermediatesaid template and said rigid members responsive to vacuum suctionexerted from below upon said jig; and a frame member substantiallybordering the edges of said template.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,290,256 Lieher Jan. 7, 1919 1,817,695 Lauenstein Aug. 4, 19312,989,827 Groth June 27, 1961 3,024,579 Stockhausen et al Mar. 13, 1962FOREIGN PATENTS 757,103 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1956

1. A JIG FOR FORMING A PACKAGE BY THE PARTIAL ENCASEMENT OF AN ARTICLEOF MERCHANDISE BY A THERMOPLASTIC SHEET OF MATERIAL COMPRISING ASUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RIGID POROUS MEMBER; AT LEAST ONE RIGID PLATFORMADAPTED TO RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE ARTICLE OF MERCHANDISE THEREUPON; SAIDARTICLE BEING IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP TO THE PLATFORM UPON WHICH ITRESTS; A TEMPLATE SUBSTANTIALLY CONGRUENT WITH SAID RIGID MEMBER HAVINGAT LEAST ONE APERTURE CORRESPONDING IN POSITION TO SAID PLATFORM; ANDYIELDABLE MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID TEMPLATE AND SAID RIGID MEMBERRESPONSIVE TO VACUUM SUCTION EXERTED FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID JIG,WHEREBY SAID TEMPLATE IS DEPRESSED BELOW THE TOP SURFACE OF SAIDPLATFORM UPON THE APPLICATION OF SAID VACUUM SUCTION THEREUPON.